Thomas Named Preseason ACC Player of the Year

Maryland Athletics

10-23-2013

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Senior Alyssa Thomas of the Maryland women’s basketball team was voted Preseason ACC Player of the Year by both the Blue Ribbon Panel and the league’s 15 head coaches Wednesday. Freshman Lexie Brown was named to the Blue Ribbon Panel’s ACC Newcomer Watch List.

Two-time ACC Player of the Year Thomas was voted the league’s preseason favorite for the award for the second straight year. She has been named to the Preseason All-ACC Teams in each of the last three years.

In 2012-13, she led the league in points (18.0 per game), rebounds (10.3 per game) and assists (5.3 per game). She is the only player in NCAA or WNBA history to average over 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for a season. Thomas is currently No. 6 on Maryland’s all-time scoring list and needs 557 points to surpass Crystal Langhorne’s record of 2,247 points scored.

Thomas was also named to the Wooden Award Preseason Top 30 for the third straight year Wednesday. She was voted to the Wooden Award final 10 in each of the last two years.

Brown, a guard from Suwannee, Ga., was the No. 15 overall recruit by numerous recruiting services. The McDonald’s All-American averaged 18.4 points, 6.9 assists, 5.1 steals and 4.9 rebounds per game as a senior in 2012-13.

Maryland opens the 2013-14 season as a top five team nationally in numerous preseason polls, including the ESPN The Magazine Preseason Top 25.

The Terrapins return four of five starters from last year’s squad that led the ACC in rebounding, which Maryland has led in each of the last three years. In 2012-13, the Terps finished with a rebounding margin of +13.9, which was second in the country to Liberty. Maryland was No. 3 nationally with its field goal percentage of .471.

Maryland will welcome Loyola in its home opener at 2 p.m. Nov. 10. The Terps will host defending national champion Connecticut Friday, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. For tickets, log on to UMTerps.com or call 1-800-IM-A-TERP.